Aden Duale, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, has unveiled Kenya’s National Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan 2026–2030, signalling a major step forward in the fight against one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women.
The plan is designed to drive progress towards vaccinating 90 per cent of girls against HPV, lead to the screening of 70 per cent of women, and ensure 90 per cent of those diagnosed receive timely treatment. This is in line with the global targets set by the UN World Health Organisation.
The plan prioritises HPV vaccination, early and equitable screening, prompt treatment and long-term follow-up to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat.
Duale said the government has been ramping up investments to strengthen referral systems, expand cancer treatment infrastructure, build a skilled health workforce and advance health financing reforms under the Social Health Authority.
The aim is to make cancer care accessible, affordable and equitable. He spoke during a symposium hosted in Nairobi and which brought together women leaders, health professionals, policymakers, development partners and civil society organisations to review progress and accelerate action across prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Kenya records between 44,000 and 47,000 new cancer cases annually, resulting in more than 27,000 deaths. Breast and cervical cancer are the leading causes of cancer deaths among women in the country. About 60 per cent of all new cancer cases are reported among women.
— KNA and NLM teams
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